Antara 16 Jan 17;
Palembang (ANTARA News) - Indonesia will host the Bonn Challenge in the South Sumatran city of Palembang to discuss water channel problems on plantation and forest areas.
The Special Staff on Climate Change for the governor of South Sumatra, Najib Asmani, said on Monday that the issue was chosen for discussion as the problem is still present in Indonesia. According to Asmani, disorganized water channels in some plantations are the cause of some water shortages.
The organization, says Asmani, consists of environmental experts from various countries. "Good water channels are needed by plantation and forest areas," Asmani added.
He also said that proper water channels can support environmental preservation in forested areas.
At least 30 countries committed to environmental issues will join the Bonn Challenge that will be held in Palembang City on either March or April in 2017.
President Joko Widodo previously urged the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Ministry of Agriculture to rigorously enforce their policies regarding the preservation of ecosystems in utilized areas of peat land, while considering the welfare of the local population.
Jokowi also specifically asked for the maximum protection of the 6.1 million hectares of unutilized peat land.
According to the website www.bonnchallenge.org, the Bonn Challenge is an international effort to restore 150 million hectares of deforested and degraded land around the globe by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030.
It aims to put issues such as water and food security and rural development at the top of national priorities for member states, as well as climate change, biodiversity and land degradation.
(Reported by Ujang Idrus/Uu.B019/INE/KR-BSR/A014)
